thecricketragics: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year Msg From Lango

With another year about roll forward into bright sunshine and bad hangovers, thecricketragics would like to thank the increasing number of readers for their faith in trying yet another voice and their loyalty in returning regularly to listen.

This year has been the very flattering in terms of the staggering increase in the readership. I have no idea how many of you are subscribers but the site now has 50 followers on Facebook and 30 something on Twitter as well as the many casual readers who just drop in. This time last year, the site had attracted about 2000 page views in 18 months operation. In the last twelve months that has grown to nearly 14000.

Thank you.

Tomorrow is just another day and Australia plays India soon after. Four pace bowlers? Shane Warne must turning over in his tanning bed. What's worse is that none of them will be from the home state. Outside tip for the Sydney Test: Tendulkar and Ponting to score those elusive hundreds in a high scoring draw.

More later but for now, Happy New Year! Forget about line and length, "just run up and go wang!"

Friday, December 30, 2011

Sri Lanka Breaks Their Hoodoo - South Africa Reinforces Theirs

The other Boxing Day Test, also in the southern hemisphere, ended with a very different result for the home side. Sri Lanka trounced South Africa by 208 runs with Rangara Herath taking 5-79 and nine wickets for the match and Jacques Kallis bagging a pair.

Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel cleaned up the tail in just eight overs in the morning, giving their batsmen the task of scoring 450 or batting out the best part of 170 overs to save the match. Morkel finished with 5-73 and looks to be closer to the form he was last in twelve months ago.

Ab de Villiers top scored

South Africa started the fourth innings, facing an uphill battle caused by poor batting in the first innings and a huge unnecessary deficit. Graeme Smith left first, unnerved by Fernando's erratic bounce and after jumping about in response to lifting deliveries, he followed one up and edged to slip. He could so easily have dropped his wrists but he was determined to play. Rudolph added 51 with the unflappable Hashim Amla before playing another terrible and unnecessary shot outside his off stump and being caught by a diving Mahel Jayawardene at second slip. Kallis, swept at Herath three overs later and was caught via the helmet at short leg. The DRS claimed him on appeal, as replays showed an edge took the ball to the helmet. It was the first pair of his 149 Test career and as the 4th highest run scorer in Tests, it stood in stark contrast to what No 3, Ricky Ponting, was doing in Melbourne. Amla committed batting suicide, pushing down the ground and calling as he ran for a single that was never there, so that when Ashwell Prince gave him the "heck -no-we-won't-go" treatment, he was run out by half the pitch. Prince was brutalised by some Fernando mongel, a short ball that Prince kept from his head but sent to first slip. Mark Boucher reviewed a ball from Herath that was going to hit middle stump. Had he been Adam Gilchrist, he would have walked.

From 1-88, South Africa had slumped to 6-133 in just 23 overs and when tea was taken three overs later, there was only AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn left and four sessions to bat. The runs calculation was erroneous.

Winners are grinners

At drinks in the last session, de Villiers and Steyn were still there, all stoic defence and proof that batting was possible. de Villers took 67 balls to reach twenty and Steyn 53 but as the session moved on, de Villiers took a few more risks, sweeping Herath to square leg for four and then hitting him over the fence at long off. With just eight overs to go in the day, Sri Lanka took the new ball but kept it in the hands of the spinners. After adding 99 for the 7th wicket, de Villiers went back to a ball from Herath that skidded on and lost the roll of the DRS dice. He was plum. The end took just another 23 deliveries. Morkel went down on one knee to sweep Dilshan, was hit on the thigh and rightly given lbw. Steyn finally played the wrong line and gained a similar fate but to Herath and Marchant de Lange swung and was bowled like a No 11 should.

Herath was named MOTM with figures of 9-128, although Thilan Samaraweera must have been very close with his innings anchoring 102 and then 43 in the second.

For Sri Lanka it was their first win in 18 months and for South Africa, their fourth consecutive loss to touring sides at Kingsmead.

Sri Lanka go to Capetown 1-1.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Australia's Quicks Crush India

Australia won their first Test against India for four years when they won by 121 in the first Test at the MCG.

Resuming this morning eight down, the Australian tail added 74 runs for the last two wickets, a significant contribution considering the size of the victory. James Pattinson again batted well, being not out for a second time in the match and recorded the highest score in his fledgling career. Zaheer Khan finished with four wickets, including the prizes of Ricky Ponting yesterday and Michael Hussey this morning.

292 was always going to be too steep a mountain for India to climb but romantics might have entertained the thought of it, given the presence of Dravid and Tendulkar. The departure of Sehwag, cutting loosely to Hussey in the gully from Hilfenhaus was exactly the start Australia wanted. It wasn't a great ball and it was a worse shot but such is the quandary of having Sehwag at the top of the order. Siddle came on at first change and had Gambhir in his second over, playing away from his body with feet stuck on the crease and edging at head Height to Ponting's safe hands.

Dravid bowled by Pattinson

The big partnership that was needed from the game's greatest run scorers never came as Pattinson went right through Dravid's defence, mainly thanks to the huge hole he left between bat and pad. There was no stride forward, no wall, just a broken, scattered castle. Pattinson keep VVS Laxman quiet with fast, full deliveries outside his off stump until feeding his favourite shot, flicked forward of square off a ball angling into leg stump. Ed Cowan, positioned perfectly, held the catch by the umpire. Kohli was lbw to Hilfenhaus in the next over and India were surviving on a last chance at the hands of Tendulkar and Dhoni.

Tendulkar played delightfully again and was untroubled by the Australians ... right up until Peter Siddle returned for his third spell and with a warm up ball which had just the right line but 10kms less speed, he claimed Tendulkar for a second time in the match as he appeared to play slightly too early and was caught in the gully by the resurgent Hussey. India 6-81 and the game was over.

Peter Siddle was the leader
of the pace pack in Melbourne

The tail doubled the score through some sensible hitting from Ravi Ashwin, Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav and the Australia faster men, Pattinson in particular, didn't like it. There were some unnecessary scenes of Pattinson pulling faces at the batsmen, having too much to say and over doing wicket celebrations - especially when he had Zaheer with a ball that followed him to leg and took the inside edge before flying to Cowan at short leg. The lad appears to be developing some wrong attitudinal elements but lets leave Michael Clarke to sort that out. He has so far. The last thing we need in Sydney is a repeat of four years ago when the Australians turned on the ugliest sporting performance seen on Australian soil in living memory.

This was a startling win by Australia, with Nathan Lyon taking the last wicket to fall - an outstanding running catch at deep long on by David Warner - and the fast bowlers the rest, shared as evenly as could be imagined. Apart from the attack of dropsy with Sehwag in the first innings, the Australians caught and fielded up to the mythical standards expected of cricketers in this country. The batting was again brittle but Cowan, Warner, Clarke and Hussey all made contributions at some stage but in a low scoring match, in a match where batsmen found it hard to go beyond thirty, Ponting's pair of 60's were a mark of class which equalled Tendulkar.

Ponting scored 62 & 60 -
21% of Australia's runs

In consideration of the best of the match, Tendulkar's batting was silken and promises something special for Sydney. In both Indian innings, Tendulkar was superb and his team mates exceedingly ordinary. The three Australian quicks were superb ... Pattinson with bat and ball, Hilfenhaus rediscovering swing and seam at pace and Peter Siddle was always the "go to" man with the ball, removing Tendulkar twice and taking the key wickets. Hussey underwent a soul revival which India will regret in the remaining Tests. For mine, with runs in both innings at times when the side and indeed himself was under the most pressure, my man of the match is Ricky Ponting. He's never been my favourite person - so much so, that I refuse to take the number 14 when allocated it in waiting for meals - and this column has called on him to quit for some time but watching a great champion perform under pressure and against bad habits born of age and weariness, was a warmness which flooded over me in the Test. In the end, the difference between the sides was 122 ... exactly Ponting's contribution.

India have a lot to do in little time. Gambhir looks unlikely on bouncy wickets but pared down touring sides don't often have good option when an opener falls out with his job. Virat Kohli is a wonderful fieldsman but Rohit Sharma by far the better man to be occupying No 6. The bowling was good and needs no tinkering. Yadav was particularly impressive and whilst Zaheer has lost much of his zip, his craft is untarnished and his offerings in Melbourne are only samplers of what is to come. The problem might be Ishant Sharma. He bowled without luck but his ankle can collapse at any time. Ashwin has as ugly an action that any member of the off spin fraternity has ever had but he can bowl. Perhaps he needs to try a little less variation as often and be patient.

This was an excellent win and regardless of what you think of the ICC ratings system, series wins by Australia and South Africa will drop India down to third and within striking distance by Australia. Australia has finished the calendar year with four wins, three losses (including the 5th Test loss against England in Sydney) and two draws. That not bad for a side that is rebuilding its playing staff, its support staff, its administration and rediscovering its supporter base. Changing one thing would have been difficult enough but Australia has changed everything, so those results are encouraging.

Put a tick in Michael Clarke's column now ... go on, he's earned it.

South Africa Too Far Gone

Sangakkara made 108

As if a deficit of 170 after first innings were decided was not enough, South Africa have been dominated on the third day at Kingsmead, Durban, by an aging champion. To make matters worse, they had him fourth ball of the day but two of their own conspired to flash him the get out of jail free card.

Sri Lanka had lost Dilshan, unnecessarily just before stumps on the second day and resumed in the superior position. South Africa needed a supreme effort from the feared pace attack to reduce any fourth innings to a manageable level. Morne Morkel, with an over to finish when bad light ended play early, bent a beauty past Kumar Sangakkara's searching edge first up and then shook him up with a short ball that fizzed past the bat and through to Mark Boucher. Morkel then bowled the perfect line to a left hander which he edged. Boucher moved to take the catch, perhaps blinding Graeme Smith but the net result was Smith flooring it. It was a miss that haunted South Africa all day and will no doubt stay on their minds when they eventually chase.

It was a slow morning with only 58 runs scored from twenty overs but overnight rain was a factor in reducing the session. Sri Lanka lost Paranavitana after half an hour, caught by a diving Ashwell Prince at fourth slip from Morkel. He had found a line on off stump which was worrying the left handers and he persisted until drinks. Mahela Jayawardene looked fluent but left in Marchant de Lange's third over, padding up and dismissed on review. By lunch, first innings century maker Samaraweera was looking comfortable.

It was the long second session that took any possible long shot South Africa might have had away from them, with Sangakkara fashioning two big partnerships and Sri Lanka losing only two wickets in adding 142. Sangakkara scored half of those, going to his hundred off Jacques Kallis three overs before tea, with a cover drive and push off his pads, both for four and then a square drive for two. It was batting worthy of a man who averages 55 in Test cricket. Kallis is a mystery. He has rarely looked more than a medium pacer with a good bouncer but his record is impeccable.

Sangakkara added 94 with Samaraweera before Imran Tahir slid one through him via the inside edge. Dale Steyn came back at this point in order to blow the tail away but after getting Angelo Mathews to a rubbish short ball outside off which the batsman pulled wildly at and edged to Boucher, there was a 104 run wait which spanned tea and took up most of the shortened last session. Debut wicket keeper, Dinesh Chandimal, got his second fifty of the match in the sixth wicket stand with Sangakkara.

Morkel created the chance which
could have changed the day

Smith used his bowlers evenly throughout the day but perhaps more emphasis could have been placed on Morkel, given his outstanding start to the day. His captaincy, so often touted as inventive and among the best in world cricket, has lacked strength and a personal style to lift his team. At times against Australia and Sri Lanka, he has looked insecure. Steyn is yet to deserve the fearsome reputation he established before South Africa were sent into a long hiatus by programming which kept them out of Test cricket for nearly a year. The effects are obvious, with batsmen rusty and struggling for form, established bowlers searching for rhythm and important catches being dropped.

This game should be lucky 16 for Sri Lanka, still chasing a win since Murali and Vaas left. With two days left and a lead of 426, the odds are stacked heavily in favour of Dilshan's men. The highest fourth innings victory of all time was 418 where a Sarwon and Chanderpaul inspired West Indies beat Australia at Antigua in 2003. At Kingsmead, the highest target set and achieved was by Australia in January of 1950. Trailing by 236 on the first innings after off spinner Hugh Tayfield took 7-23 and rolled them for 75 on a wet wicket, Australia's managed the 336 to win with only five wickets down, after Neil Harvey made 151 not out in playing his greatest innings for his country.

South Africa trailed by less here but doesn't have the same cattle as Lindsay Hassett did, just eighteen months after the Invincibles tour of England, nor does either side have as astute a captain.

This will go to the fifth day on a batting track that is still good but Sri Lanka are specials to square the series.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

... but the wicket looks good?

15 wickets fell and less than 250 runs were scored on the third day at the MCG and yet despite the accuracy of the bowling, there was no vicious seaming, no rapid turn, no signs of varying bounce and no prodigious late swing. What's more, two blokes who were supposed to be out of form and on the verge of being left out with the bins on Friday night, added 115 for Australia when things were at their most wobbly.

What's going on in Melbourne?

Sometimes, two teams below their best can produce such matches: days when wickets fall for no apparent reason and batsmen complain at press conferences of never being really "in". Usually, evidence can be found in deliveries that keep low and bounce high from the same spot or batsmen being caught driving or by the bowler. These variations aren't evident. The only difference is the lack of carry which sees balls falling in front of the slips from otherwise healthy edges but that's a symptom which can be found in any MCG match from the first day.

No, this wicket is still very good to bat on and will remain so tomorrow when this Test will be decided.

If there is a common thread, then footwork will be at the end of it as it unravels. Being bowled of an inside edge is almost always down to the feet not moving into the right position or a backlift that is either too high or angled away from the batsman toward gully. Edges to gully indicate the back foot is not moving across and back so that the batsman is balanced at the time of attempting the stroke. Thinner edges are offered by batsmen who have never learned the technique of dropping their hands out of the way of a rising ball. Generally, batsmen are drawn to the ball more often in the modern game because of the amount of fifty and twenty over cricket they play where bat on ball is the mantra. With more time spent in pursuit of white balls, we can hardly be critical of batsmen or expect them to switch easily between different modes of batsmanship when the different forms of the game co-exist in such tightly packed neighbourhoods.

Hilfenhaus 5-75

Make no mistake, the bowling was good. In the morning, Hilfenhaus made the ball cut more than swing but mostly just bowled a chokingly tight line which found the flaws and profited. He removed Dravid with the second ball of the morning with one that was straight from hand to off stump, full and quick and too much for a batsmen still trying to blink the light back into his eyes. Peter Siddle removed VVS Laxman with his new signature ball soon after - full and moving away - and Hilfenhaus had Kohli playing forward down the wrong line to another straight one to be caught behind. Dhoni played a loose shot straight to Mike Hussey in the gully from a ball short of a length from Hilfenhaus and the Tasmania had resurrected his career with his first five wicket performance in Tests. Siddle and Pattinson cleaned up the scraps, with Ravi Ashwin at least showing some fight.

India were all out 51 short of the Australians after losing 7-68 in 29 overs in the morning session. Hilfenhaus will be hailed as the star with 5-75 but for all those I-told-you-so experts, the real work was again done by Peter Siddle and James Pattinson. Pattinson, in particular, will bowl a lot worse than this in the long list of Test days to come for him and on those days return superior figures. If you are around this game long enough, you soon realise its more about how than how many. For instance, Pattinson beat the bat of Dravid constantly yesterday and worried Tendulkar. Siddle was superb yesterday and bowled both Dravid and Tendulkar, the latter when he was on top of his game.

Australia started disastrously, being 4-27 in the thirteenth over, losing Warner, Cowan, Marsh and Clarke: three of them playing on and Cowan not offering a shot. Again it was Yadav who steamed through the top order, repeating his first innings feat of removing the top three. Warner tried to smash the cover of a shorter ball from Yadav past point, went nowhere on the crease and dragged in down onto the stumps. Cowan shouldered arms and even with DRS would have been plumb. It never ceases to amaze why batsmen won't uses that little wooden thing they walk out with to defend their castle. Marsh was fooled into slashing a drive at a wider, fuller ball from Yadav, got his bat there but not his front foot and wooded it back to the stumps. Clarke played forward without his feet and away from his body and replicated a favourite dismissal of his in 2011, losing his leg bail.

Hussey and Ponting
added 115

Enter Hussey to join that other ancient, Ponting. Hussey was busy and Ponting behind the ball. A batsman's wicket suddenly had a price on it as two men who would have been discarded by the media forgot all that and played from the memory of being heroes in another age. This pitch that you couldn't get in on, this track that had left others scratching their head as they returned to the sheds ... it just looked like a third day wicket, waiting for someone who could bat. They batted to tea, with Hussey dominating, pulling Yadav forward of square, driving Sharma past extra cover in a flash and cutting Zaheer Khan backward of point in his first 16 deliveries. Ponting was all intent, putting only two balls to the fence before tea but both tellingly off Sharma: a punch through cover of the back foot and drive past the bowler.

In the hour after tea, the pair added 61 in eleven overs and supporters thanked the cricket gods that press men don't pick the Test team. If Tendulkar had offered a Master Class on Day 2, Ponting and Hussey provided the shining example that Test caps should be won and then retained by men who understand what it means to fight for their mates and how to stand when the weight of the world bears down on you so hard that staying down seems the easier option. Test cricket should never be about accepting the easiest options.

With drinks due, Ponting again made a simple mistake. Zaheer slanted one across him he might have let go but instead was drawn to. It was too wide and could not be controlled and he steered it to Sehwag in the gully. To his credit, there were no lusty demonstrations to the media centre with a waving bat that months of pressure and a pair of sixties might have entitled him to. Instead, his head was down and his countenance grim as he could think only of an unfinished task he had just left. That's why he's a hard man.

It was procession time again, with Haddin, Siddle and Lyon all coming and going with little impact until Pattinson dropped anchor with the unbeaten Hussey. Yadav and Zaheer were very impressive as part of an Indian attack which has been massively unwritten. They will be hard work over January.

Hussey remained 79x

Mr Cricket is rare one. He was on a hiding in this match. Out first ball in the first innings when the DRS would have comfortably saved him, he dropped a catch early in the Indian innings but such is his way, he kept clapping his hands and encouraging his bowlers. From the outset of his second dig, with Australia 4-27 and in the shadow of recent collapses, most would have wilted and sought caution and a safe place to hide at the bowlers end. Not Mr Cricket. He was busy from the start and pushed along at a run a ball, looking for the strike as often as possible. After losing Ponting, he tried to dominate but kept losing partners. It wasn't until three overs from the end that he made a blemish. Trying to get down the wicket to Ashwin, he presented Dravid with a clear edge which was not difficult in terms of sighting or height but his fellow old timer spilled it and was still shaking his head about it as he left at stumps. He hasn't dropped many but he would have loved to have snared that one.

Australia lead by 230, which is not enough, despite the declining returns trend in innings scores since India's first innings 333. No one has chased more than 300 at the MCG and won, the highest being England's 4-298 more than a hundred years ago when John Brown made 140 and Albert Ward 93 in a partnership of 210 for the third wicket. The wicket wouldn't have been this good. Australia must find another thirty or forty and if they do so, Hussey will have his 16th Test hundred and will avoid dropping his average below 50 for only the second time since his first Test in November 2005.

There's a lot of work still to be done by both sides to draw first blood in what will be an epic series.

Bowlers Give Sri Lanka Some Heart

Samaraweera reaches his hundred

The second day at Kingsmead was a day when bowlers provided the action and Sri Lanka charged, unexpectedly, back into the Test series against South Africa. 14 wickets fell, ten of them South African, as they collapsed to the left handed combination of fast bowler Chand]aka Welegedara and spinner Rangana Herath.

Sr Lanka added only 49 to their overnight score, with Thilan Samaraweera going on to his first Test hundred for more than a year and his thirteen in a ten year Test career. After stubborn resistance by Herath which added 46, the last three wickets tumbled to Marchant de Lange, giving him a debut return of 7-81and the best figures on debut by a South African.

South Africa looked comfortable until lunch but crashed afterwards, losing its two openers and Kallis before 30 and inside eleven overs. Jacques Rudolph left first, playing am ordinary hook shot off Perera and Welegedara took a good low catch at fine leg. Smith left next, playing a lazy shot outside the off stump to Welegedara and being smartly snapped up by the new keeper, Dinesh Chandimal who dived to his left and Kallis made it three when he was forced to play a beauty from Welegedara and snicked it to Mahela Jayawardene who held the first of three catches.

Welegedara 5-52

AB de Villiers provided Hashim Amla with much needed support and the pair batted safely to tea and raised the hundred. Amla went for long periods hardly scoring, grim in defence of his wickets but interspersed this determination to survive with shots from his classic cupboard - cover drives, cuts in front and behind point and balls sent down the ground with barely a lean and zero footwork. de Villiers was held in check by Herath, using his feet but never able to break free. Only occasionally was he able to attack Fernando and Perera and break the shackles being placed around his normally sparkling footwork. After tea, it all went horribly wrong, with de Villers tempted in the first over to slash a drive at a ball well wide of off stump and he instead deposited the edge to Jayawardene. Two overs later, Amla was beaten on the inside and Chandimal held the catch. Both wickets fell to Welegedara.

From there it was a quick decline which only Dale Steyn held up with some monster heaves, hitting Herath for two big sixes. Herath cut a swath through the lower half and Welegedara returned to take the last and claim his fifth. Chandimal finished with four dismissals on debut, including the stumping of Imran Tahir and South Africa had surrendered yet again at Kingsmead.

Trailing by 170, Dale Steyn had his second delivery slashed over cover point's head by Tillerkaratne Dilshan and found the edge of his bat, only poked at the next ball and flying to Graeme Smith. South Africa are capable of miracle comebacks and Sri Lanka have more crumple zones than the average family sedan so this could yet be an exciting match but don't buy tickets for day four just yet.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Still The Little Master

Australia did very well on the 2nd day but not as well as India. The tail was perhaps disappointing despite all making contributions but Zaheer Khan proved too much for them, having Peter Siddle and Brad Haddin, both caught behind the stumps inside eight overs. Haddin left on a gentleman's agreement, asking Virender Sehwag if he had held a low catch in the gully and departing upon confirmation. It was something former skipper Ricky Ponting had been calling on international players to bring back into the game for years. Ben Hilfenhaus provided a few old fashioned tail ender giggles with his unconventional hit and miss stuff but he went one swipe too far against Ashwin and lobbed a simple catch to long on, where the safest hands in world cricket, Virat Kohli, took the catch. Nathan Lyon was also knocked over by Aswin with an off break that turned from outside off and bowled him around his legs.

333 was handy but had the look of being light on and for the rest of the day, India made it look just so, despite some very good bowling by the Australians. Gautum Gambhir left in the eighth over, playing a lame waft outside his off stump from Hilfenhaus and the returned soldier from last year Ashes campaign had the first wicket via Haddin's gloves. The celebrations had been mourning three overs earlier when Michael Hussey, unable to take a trick at the moment, couldn't take a catch, dropping a screamer from Sehwag, low and well to his right in the gully. Had he held it, classic catches would have been working overtime to find one to top it this season.

Dravid - a mixed bag

Rahul Dravid arrived and began solidly enough. Known by players as The Wall, his innings would develop into the contents of a student's fridge - some shots that defied description, some that were sweet and pure and many, many that started as off but rapidly became rotten. Dravid must have played and missed ten or more times, inside edged and mistimed shots all afternoon. He was down for the count half an hour before the end with cramp, ankle injuries and numbness in his left forearm but he kept on going. In between these physical and mental battles with the bowlers, he still found exquisite flicks, glides and drives through the on side. When he drives the ball forward of square leg with a those delicate wrists uncocking and in complete control, you know you are watching one of the best ever batsman. He also drove well through the off side.

For most of the time though, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle looked likely to get him out. Siddle did once, jagging an off cutter through a hole in the wall off the inside edge and then pad and onto the stumps with more ricochet's than a John Wayne western. Siddle's sweet was soon sour when video replays showed his left foot on an errand of mercy and crossing the front line. Dravid returned to the battle and stayed to the end.

Sehwag takes Lyon down the ground

His first companion was the impossibly talented and irrepressible Sehwag, who raised his 50 off not many more, crashing drives through cover, over and through slips and smacking Lyon out of the attack by taking him down the ground. Mixed between were chances to Hussey and Haddin, both of Pattinson and many a play and miss from the same bowler. He almost hit Lyon into Warner's hands at long on in the same over he removed him. Last time he was at the MCG he scored 195 in less than a day and he caused mini mayhem by comparison today. His feet move more in practice shots between deliveries than they ever do during the actual execution and one lapse in his eye-hand coordination finally removed him when he lashed at Pattinson and inside edged onto his stumps.

How much joy is there in removing a danger man like Sehwag, only to look up and see Tendulkar walking through the gate? Unlike anyone in the home team including Ponting, Tendulkar had everyone on their feet as he strode to the wicket and the purpose in his stride was unmistakable. Quiet and uncertain before tea, Hussey nearly caused a sensation when Tendulkar played from inside edge to pad and the ball stayed in the air long enough to cause 50000 breaths to be held. Tea came soon after with India 2-99.

Tendulkar made a superb 73

How do you approach the task of bowling to the two highest run scorers in the history of the game and how much does you stomach sink when the first ball after tea, short and rising outside the off stump is up an undered for six behind the slip cordon? You knuckle down and you do your best and that's what the Australians did. Tendulkar, however, is in a different class and this afternoon he showed that. He followed the six with a tuck of his pads for three and in Siddle's next over, took him deliberately over the slips of four and played a cover drive which the crowd will have on a mental video replay for their lives. Hilfenhaus stepped up after Siddle and was leg glanced, cover driven and on driven all for four and all superbly. His half century would have come at a run a ball had it not been for a tight Hilfenhaus over that kept him scoreless and after reaching his fifty, he was more easily kept quiet. Until then, the biggest second day MCG crowd since Bradman made a century in each innings in the New Year of 1948 was given a batting Little Master class. With thirty minutes left in the day, he closed things down and started planning his hundred on the third day. Ian Chappell is right: when he goes quiet he becomes vulnerable.

Siddle bowled Tendulkar
in the last over

In that last half hour, Siddle bowled magnificently, beating the bat with outswingers and threatening both Dravid and Tendulkar with off cutters and all of it at the death of a day of disappointing returns ... and all of it at 145km per hour. This man is a lion who only knows how to roar. He bowled Dravid with what may become a famous no ball but would not yield to the disappointment. Two overs later, bowling the last over of the day, he bowled two short balls high outside Tendulkar's off stump, seemingly having lost the plot. The next, a screamer which was suddenly full, beat Tendulkar for pace and line and took out the Little Bloke's stumps. If his battling had been high class, so were the three balls that removed him.

Patttinson and Siddle were as outstanding as they were unlucky but none of the bowlers suffered from a lack of effort. Michael Clarke pulled rabbits out of hats, bowling Hussey and Warner in an effort to find unexpected wickets and created enough uncertainty but not enough luck. Defensiveness crept in after the last drinks break but generally, Clarke kept his men on task.

Despite all this, Dravid remains, his 37th hundred beckoning in his 279th innings. Of the next four, Laxman, Dhoni and Ashwin all have Test centuries and Kohli is India's most promising batsman.

It could yet be a long haul before Sydney, despite Australia's best efforts.

Sri Lanka Improve Against South Africa

Marchant de Lange 4 wickets
on debut

In the last Test match of 2011, Sri Lanka put up an improved batting performance, mostly due to a veteran and a rookie and South Africa deputed another exciting fast bowler.

The Sri Lankans dropped Silva, as expected and replaced him with Dishan Chandimal, who earned his first cap after experience in the shorter forms of the game. Vernon Philander failed to recover from his knee injury and Marchant de Lange played his first Test.

Sri Lanka won the toss and batted and were the usual mix of Paranavitana's caution and Dilshan's audacity, adding a run a ball before the former edged a full ball from de Lange which was asking to be driven and Mark Boucher took the catch. de Lange had a second, more prestigious scalp an over later when he took out Kumar Sangakkara in the same manner for a duck. Mahela Jayawardene joined Dilshan and seemed intent on building an innings whilst the madman at the other end kept slapping away, attempting arrogant drives on the up and only just avoiding the edge of his bat. He was out eventually when he took a Imran Tahir full toss from outside leg stump and put it straight into the hands of Morne Morkel at fine leg. It was a reckless, die by the sword shot, so typical of the lack of value Dilshan places on his own wicket and the needs of his team. When Jayawardene went shot crazy, punishing Tahir and then attacking dale Steyn, Morkel sent one through a sizable gap between bat and pad and he lost his off stump.

At 4-117, it was a familiar pattern.

Then two good partnerships which improved the day for Sri Lanka.

Tilhan Samaraweera, who was quiet against the Australians at home and only marginally better in England, was in need of runs and he was joined by the young tyro Angelo Mathews. In a 45 run 5th wicket partnership dominated by Mathews crisp stroke play, Samaraweera regained his confidence against the ferocious South African quicks. Morkel, in particular, was menacing and back to his best after a lean run this summer and third place behind Phillander and Steyn. It was a partnership which was blunting the attack and it was a shock when Mathews got a leading edge of a de Lange full toss and the bowler held a remarkable catch.

The best partnership of the day followed. Chandimal opened with two fours which showcased his talent. The first was a straight drive, down on one knee off Tahir and the other, a controlled glide to third man off de Lange. He would not be intimidated and batted with qualities far greater than the senior players above him. He attacked all of the bowlers and enjoyed a share of luck when he mishit a shot intended to fly midwicket and was dropped by de Lange at mid on - incongruous with the caught and bowled he had snared earlier. He raised his fifty with a slapped four past cover point off de Lange. The partnership of Nelson, 111, ended when he again slashed at an intentionally wide delivery from de Lange and Boucher took the catch. Perera became de Lange's fourth debut wicket when he couldn't manage a short fast ball and that closed the day out.

Samaraweera 86 not out

All the while, Samaraweera kept his head and refused to yield against some quality fast bowling. He patiently moved toward his hundred and has left himself well placed by stumps, offering no chances except a stumping opportunity for Boucher off Tahir when he was 63. The ball turned so far, Kallis caught it at first slip. His 50 came from 115 deliveries and the next 36 runs were even slower, off 103 balls. His batting showed some much needed spine and grit which the other elder statesmen of the Sri Lankan team appear to have traded for audacious stroke play and bravado.

The South Africans bowled well on a track that offered little encouragement - certainly not what was expected of the Durban deck in the lead up to the match. Leg spinner Tahir bowled a lot of overs - 28 on the opening day - a symptom of what may be the reality of this wicket. His leg spin is of the old fashioned variety, with one killer ball per over and one to be hit for six. The quicks still disturbed the Sri Lankans but Dale Steyn was again below his best.

An even day but its hard to imagine the South African batting line up being troubled on this pitch.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Boxing Day Round One

Ed Cowan top scored with 68

Those jokers who say that Test cricket is dull and predictable have obviously only been to one ODI or a handful of Twenty20 games and the opening day of the first Test between hosts Australia and their Indian guests proved the doom sayers wrong yet again.

The Australian innings was prone to a cycle of collapse and recovery throughout a day extended into the summer evening of Boxing Day after rain took out slightly less than an hour before and after lunch. Michael Clarke won the toss and batted, with Ed Cowan making his debut in place of Phil Hughes and Ben Hilfenhaus replacing Mitchell Starc. Before play, Dean Jones managed three complete sentences in presenting Cowan with his Baggy Green.

Cut and thrust is overused as an analogy but it was an accurate record of events at the MCG. David Warner looked in fabulous touch in dominating the 46 run opening stand with a more conservative Cowan. One big six was smashed over mid wicket in Usman Yadav's 16 run third over, which also included fours straight driven and back foot launched through cover. On the hour, five minutes were lost to rain as players were called back by umpire Ian Gould as soon as they had left the field. First ball after the break, Warner hooked again to a ball which came on to him faster than he expected and gloved a ballooning catch to Dhoni wide down the leg side. The much anticipated first Test on Australian soil went pair-shaped for Shaun Marsh in Yadav's next over as he drove and edged to Kohli, who held a well judged catch in the gully. Australia's good start was now 2-46.

Ponting cuts to raise his fifty

Enter Ricky Ponting to a mixed MCG reception for the first time in his career. Many stood, cheered and clapped him from gate to guard but just as many stayed seated, inanimate and an awful lot of them were not Indian supporters. Second ball, Ponting was nearly in a tangle, attempting a pull shot and having the ball come from his forearm to his helmet and by the time he swivelled, it appeared to be dropping toward the stumps until quick footwork kicked it away. From there, it was all control and the shorter the bowling the better Ponting liked it. His first four boundaries were all pull shots and were all convincing. By the time Ishant Sharma returned, Ponting was closing on fifty with a delightful cut past point and the closest Sharma came was a blow on the pads when Ponting shouldered arms but it was well clear of off stump.

A the other end, two different Cowans played support. Before lunch, it was hard to get an attacking shot from him but after lunch he expanded his range of shots and 70 runs came in 14 overs. After adding 113 for the third wicket, Ponting squared up to Yadav and the ball flew from the shoulder of the bat to be held by Laxman at second slip. Hopefully those in the media might finally note the quality of Ponting's form. This is not someone to discard yet.

Clarke played on again

Clarke looked busy in the short space before tea and the eleven overs after it, cracking four boundaries from point to gully. Zaheer Khan came left arm around, seemingly avoiding the obvious and sending balls away from Clarke repeatedly. With the Aussie captain secure, Zaheer eventually bent one back at him from wide of off stump - an old Wasim Akram trick - and Clarke provide a familiar path from his inside edge back onto the stumps. After adding 46 with the still patient Cowan, Clarke's departure sparked a 3-9 mini collapse. Michael Hussey went first ball to a shocker from umpire Erasmus and provided as good an advertisement for DRS as they could ever be. A short lifter from Hussey reared on his off stump, passing close to his outside edge but well away from his gloves and then arced away until Dhoni held it. All the Indians took to the air in exclamation and Erasmus agreed with them. Hussey wasn't within the Hume Highway of hitting it and was rightly livid as he left the arena. To think your career might ride on such things is unjust. Not long after, Ed Cowan tried to cut Ashwin and like Hussey, no proof could be found that he had hit it.

Peter Siddle joined Haddin and the pair took Australia to stumps with an unbeaten 63 run partnership, Haddin perhaps lucky to survive a confident lbw appeal near stumps.

It was a good day for India with the ball, with each of their four bowlers looking effective throughout the day. Yadav and Zaheer bowled too short after lunch and let the Australian's off the hook but bowl returned good spells at other stages to compensate. Sharma was unlucky not to gain more from the Australians and even though he is bowling on one leg, his work was impressive. Ashwin lost control occasionally but once he adjusts to bowling "the Australian length" he will be a handful.

An even day.

Sri Lanka Slip Sliding Away

Dilshan

In the post Murali, post Vaas slide which Sri Lanka - in almost Paul Keating parlance - were going to have, no one quite imagined them slipping so far towards the sudden tail bone thump at the end of the slippery dip in such a short time. Now, fifteen Tests later and still without a win, they can't find the bowlers to take twenty wickets and win a Test and when they do find them, they skunk their hair in post modern self-obsession and turn up only when it suits them.

Their batting is aging, the skipper third choice at best, their Board is bankrupt and first class cricket is suspended because there is no money to stage the games. Test players have been waiting for months for back payments and few young players are emerging of Angelo Mathews ilk - players with enough lust for international competition to bridge the other chasm of frailties which is Sri Lankan cricket. It is only now apparent that Murali's greatest contribution in his last three years wasn't his still prolific wicket taking exploits but rather his wallpapering over deep, disturbing cracks which remaining heroes like Kumar Sangakkara can no longer hide.

That's the last fifteen Tests.

Today, the track in Durban is green, South Africa are hot and the tourists are further into the malaise they arrived with. Tillakaratne Dilshan announced player replacements last week but his money strapped Board not only ignored him but denied his claim publicly. Such circus tricks would render captaincy untenable elsewhere. Dhammika Prasad may return to the side, three years since his last Test with a record of 16 wickets in eight Tests at an average of 58. Hhmmm. Dinesh Chandimal, a youngster with fair performances in the shorter forms of the game, may debut for wicketkeeper Silva who has disappointed since replacing Prasanna Jayawardene. The top order is well below its best and the captain can't decide where to bat, having lost the ability to score runs. Sangakkara has been the only light to shine, but even he wasn't switched on until the second half of 2011.

The Jolly Green Giant have the minor injury worry of Vernon Philander: minor, not because he isn't important to the attack but rather because his wounded knee bears none of the seriousness it did for Spotted Elk and his band of North American Indians. The batsmen are full of runs and Villander full of wickets against a side which struggled to 300 runs in spending 20 wickets at the Centurion slaughter house.

The only mitigating factor might be South Africa's poor recent returns at Kingsmead, where Australia, England and India have won the last three Tests since 2009. Even so, a Sri Lankan victory would be the Test cricket equivalent of the Titanic resurfacing and coming back for another go at the iceberg.

Friday, December 23, 2011

The World's Top Ten Cricket Christmas Carols

Once In Rahul Dravid's City
For God's Sake Rest Him Merry Gentlemen (please don't let Phil Hughes play)
The First No Ball (Salman did say, will be in the third over, first up right away)
Hark The Herald Bracewell Swings (glory to the Kiwi king)
Phil Hughes the Red-Faced Batsman, had a very shiny pose, but when they bowled on off stump, the umpire would foreclose
Ding Dong Murali On High
I Saw Three Slips On Boxing Day
We Three King Pairs, Disoriented Are
While David Shepherd Watches His Flocks In White
Sachin the batsman, was a jolly happy soul. With a hundred tons and more to come, in Australia to take his toll..

(With thanks to a very funny bunch of Tweeters for inspiration and some entries here.)

The World's Most Famous Batsman

This is a picture of the most famous batsman world cricket has ever known ...

... and the guy with him is Don Bradman.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Australian Selectors Name & Explain

Ed Cowan - 4 centuries in last 8 innings

John Inverarity this afternoon named the 13 man squad to take on India at the MCG starting on Boxing Day.

Michael Clarke (c), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Dan Christian, Brad Haddin, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Starc & Nathan Lyon.
In: Cowan and Hilfenhaus Out: Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja
Unavailable: Shane Watson & Ryan Harris

Gone are Phil Hughes, who was dropped by every single one of Australia's 21 million selectors and somewhat more surprisingly, Usman Khawaja. Hughes didn't shoot himself in the foot by the uniformity of his dismissals in the short series against the New Zealanders, he just underlined the ongoing problem he has had since his return against the Englishmen a year ago. His axing was a certainty, especially in consideration of being asked to bat at four in the tour game against India and then have a dash when it didn't matter. Khawaja can consider himself a trifle hard done by but Ed Cowan placed the final straw on his back with a fourth first class hundred this season, scored with impeccable timing on and off the field, against the Indians. Selectors have always smiled on emerging batsmen who score heavily against the touring side and this current crop of meat managers are well and truly over bolts from the blue, otherwise, Chris Rogers would have been a shoe in ... but then, they are probably thinking he's a real Victorian. If only they had remembered he originally wore a blue cap. As good as Khawaja will be under that Baggy Green cap in the future, he hasn't established himself yet with a weight of runs. Until he can turn exquisite twenties and thirties into fifties and beyond, he'll always be facing journeys away from the team.

Shaun Marsh is a long way from being a certainty and if he misses the deadline on Monday morning, Christian will come into the side and Inverarity has already indicated a shuffling in the order. Given that Christian will bat at 6, the Australians will shuffle Ponting, Clarke and Hussey all up a place. This may be okay if Ishant Sharma can't play but it will place a lot of pressure on Ponting who has looked unlikely to handle 3 any more and Clarke, who has never really handled 4. Hussey used to open so why not slot him in a three. He is, after all, the most flexible of all the batsmen in the side. Baring training accidents, Ponting and Hussey will play as Mickey Arthur and Inverarity have made that quite plain.

Back to Ben Hilfenhaus

It's in the bowling that the largest question mark looms. Hilfenhaus, according the the head of selectors, has been chosen to cover Mitchell Starc. Had Harris been fit, he would have taken Starc's spot as Pattinson, Siddle and Lyon are automatic selections. Why go back to Hilfenhaus? He's well placed on first class wickets taken this season but very expensive at over 30! This was the problem last season against the Poms, where the Tasmanian was undoubtedly unlucky but very, very expensive. What's wrong with West Australian Michael Hogan? He heads the first class bowling this season with 32 wickets at under 22 and in his most recent game, he had match figures of 9-84 as South Australia was routed by ten wickets. Sure, he's 30 but then Hilfenhaus is 28 and Cowan 29 and the near-bald, head-banded Jayde Herrick is only 26. After Hobart. most would have thought Starc certain to have a rest but the selectors doubt over Harris' durability changed all that and Ben Cutting's ongoing injury since missing the cut in Brisbane has cost him a Baggy Green for three Tests running.

In the end, the selectors were left with limited choices thanks to the horrendous injury toll which is bearing down on them and making the rebuilding task both difficult and easy at the same time. Difficult because new bodies have to keep being found for the next match but easy because it gives the selectors a licence to experiment.

There are some who have called for Ponting and Hussey to be surgically removed but its too early yet. Strange that this correspondent, who has called for Ponting's head for the last twelve months, should now defend his selection but if form be a guide, he now deserves our perseverance. In two of the last three Tests, he has batted well. He was undone on seaming deck in Hobart but they have always bothered him. Give him Melbourne and the following New Year Test in Sydney against the Indians and then make the call. A factor very much in his favour is the Indians reverence of his ability and their bitter knowledge of him as a competitor which is a factor not to be overlooked. Having him in Clarke's team points an influential bone of past experiences trying to beat this prickly Australian and will make them design their bowling attack around his presence. As for Hussey, he ain't broke yet so don't fix him.

No, this is not our best team but its pretty much the best we have available for now.

Postscript: One last, desperate plea for media and spectators alike to stop moaning about the loss in Hobart as though it were a thrashing. Australia lost by 7 runs and scored the largest innings total of the match batting last. Our bowlers were terrific but our batsmen - Warner aside - weren't. Australia was beaten by what should have been a man of the match performance by Doug Bracewell. No need for blood letting. No need for desperate acts of self abuse in order to cope with a defeat ... or is it having to cop it sweet from Kiwi friends? Its the first time they have beaten us for 18 years, so get over it.

Two-Faced Bangers Get Mashed

Mushfiqur 53 before going the slog

The two sides of how Bangladesh face up to Test cricket were never more easily identified as on the last day of the final Test of the series against Pakistan played at Mirpur. In the morning, Nasir Hosssain and Mushfiqur Rahim were solid in defence and confident in their stroke play. After lunch, five wickets fell in 18 overs, reckless shots were played and Pakistan raced to their target.

Even though Cheema and Gul started the day for Pakistan after their success on the fourth afternoon, it was obvious the spinners would be the greatest danger. Bangladesh had further favours with the fog returning and moving the starting time back into the morning. The constant interruptions in this test should have convinced authorities that an 8:30am start is impossible in Mirpur, regardless of the concerns with light at the end of the day. After the quicks made little impression, Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman came on and although tightening the scoring, Nasir and Mushfiqur still managed to tick the scoreboard over, edging past slips a few times but gradually building a total. The pair added 86 in the first session.

Time was Pakistan's biggest worry in securing a win and wickets were needed quickly after lunch. Abdur Rehman started what was to be a landslide, bowling Nasir with a Boon special, a nudie which came straight on from the left armer, landing middle and leg and hitting off. It was Nasir's highest score so far in only a four Test career and ended a partnership with his skipper of 117 for the sixth wicket. The spinners applied the pressure and the next six overs produced only nine runs which apparently proved too much for Mushfiqur. After three hours and nearly 150 deliveries, having just bought up his half century, he jumped down the track at Rehman aiming to loft over the long off boundary, was done in flight and simply plopped an undroppable catch to mid off. It was a lame and unpardonable self implosion from a skipper who had lectured his batsmen on circumspection after the first Test.

From there, it was a quick end, with Rehman and Ajmal far too good for the tail and Bangladesh had surrendered 5-22.

Hafeez took control - 47 of 52

Pakistan were against the conditions to reach the winning target but moved with intent at more than five an over, showing that they know where the accelerator is but prefer to conserve first innings fuel by reaching their goal safely. Taufeeq became frustrated after four overs of dots and played a poor shot to leave early. Mohammad Hafeez took control and made a run a ball 47 which was gold in the circumstances, as was Azahr Ali's quickened pace. Both were out close to the end, which Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq made sure of with judicious hitting as the umpires were checking their light meters. Misbah sealed the win with a six over long off from the second ball he faced. The spinners were no answer for the aggression of Pakistan's batsmen, especially given the small target they were defending.

Pakistan won the series 2-0, moving past Sri Lanka on the ICC Test table up to fifth position - something Sri Lanka looks unlikely to change in the remaining Tests of their series against South Africa. Pakistan are now four points behind Australia. To catch them over the summer, Australia would have to lose all of the Tests in the series against India and Pakistan would have to make a huge dent in the world No 1, England, in their three Test series in the UAE in February/March.

Still, stranger things have happened on a country road.

Pakistan Grinding Out A Victory

Misbah sweeps on his way to 70

Their justification will be the importance of creating a responsible batting order but Pakistan's steady and unrelenting pressure on the fourth day against Bangladesh isn't the sort of bright, result oriented cricket Mark Taylor created with Australia in the 1990's - more Ted Dexter of the first half of the 1960's. Batting with caution first and refusing to yield wickets even when the match required quick runs has, unfortunately for Test cricket, again been rewarded as Bangladesh collapsed in a frenzy late in the day.

The outstanding part of the day was not the Bangladeshi fielding, which followed three dropped chances yesterday with three more today and none of them that difficult. Robiul Islam (mid on), Mahmudullah (slip) and Elias Sunny (mid wicket) all deserve shaming for flooring catches that Test players always hold. Sunny's was the more difficult but no excuses. Stuart Law has a clear indicator where to aim his most urgent practice routines.

The outstanding part of the day was not the Bangladesh second innings. Tamim Iqbal started hurried and ended Billyed: umpire Doctrove sending him on his way after an Umar Gul delivery struck him on the helmet and Misbah-ul-Haq claimed the catch at first slip. If the decision was rude, the appeal was worse. Next ball, one of the first innings heroes, Shahriar Nafees was struck in line but at a questionable height and Billy marched him too. 2-23 chasing a deficit of 118 wasn't good. With Mahmudullah pushing the score along, Abdur Rehman skittled Nazimuddin with a straight, flat ball that went straight through him. Nasir Hossain was dropped at slip early but recovered and he and Mahmudullah were looking comfortable against the spinners. Aziz Cheema's return bought a brain explosion from Muhmudullah who attempted a lofted, thumping drive down the ground but instead sent an outside edge skyward and was caught at point. It was dumb cricket from a batsman who was set. Only a handful of overs later, Cheema claimed the big prize, Bangladesh's player of the match, Shakib Al Hasan, when he cramped him for room on the off stump and Azhar Ali took a good catch in the gully. It was a 35 over disaster.

Shakib took 6-82 with his left arm spin

The outstanding part of the day was not Pakistan adding 178 in 59 overs. It didn't help that Younis Khan was out in the second over but they were too tardy. Misbar constructed probably the best hand of the innings, even though Taufeeq had made a century. At least he attempted to increase the tempo. Shafiq and Akmal both made good contributions until the tail failed to wag, losing the last three wickets for just six.

No, the outstanding part of the day was Shakib taking five of the seven wickets to fall, finishing with a creditable 6-82 from nearly forty one overs. When matched with his first innings 144, he becomes the first player from Bangladesh to score a century and take five or more wickets in an innings in the same Test.

The fourth day was the first to contain all of its overs, with 93 bowled and the rest consumed by the innings break but even a short day on the fifth should be enough for another Pakistan Test victory and a 2-0 series result.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The Days Are Getting Shorter

Mirpur is an odd place to play cricket. The wicket is as flat and as even as most practice wickets, intended to provide a surface for batsmen, not bowlers. Fog lingers in the early morning because of the early start to try and avoid the bad light in the afternoon. The net result is the same. Not one of the three days has managed to last more than 69 overs, let alone the dyslexic ICC target of 96. For the home side, perhaps the reassurance of a safety net against defeat helps their play - well, innings defeat at least.

Taufeeq Umar made
a lucky 130

In the "light" of this influence over the result, Pakistan's batting on the third day was puzzling but not entirely unexpected. In 69 overs they added 205 runs, losing only two wickets although the small return for Bangladesh was less to do with the batting and more to do with inept fielding. Taufeeq should have been stumped on 56, when Mushfiqur Rahim appealed for a catch down the ledside of the left arm orthodox Shakib Al Hasan and forgot to remove the bails as well with the batsmen well down the pitch. He was dropped on 67 when he cut the first ball after lunch straight into and then out of Nazimuddin's hands in the gully and then on 118 when he sent a difficult but catchable bat pad opportunity to Shahriar Nafeez of Elias Sunny. Younis Khan hoiked to deep mid wicket where Shahadat spilled the catch off Nasir Hossain. The latter two chances came in the first two overs after tea.

Pakistan have batted with caution under Misbah-ul-Haq's leadership, strange considering his own desire to score quickly. Their intention is occupation of the crease and ensuring they can't be beaten by running down the clock, rather than the exuberant yet often reckless stroke play that has always been a hallmark of Pakistani cricket. With 5 wins and 2 losses in 12 Test since their last series loss, its a policy that is hard to argue with. Their top order all have healthy averages in that time, with only Asad Shafiq averaging below 40 and Mohammad Haeez, Taufeeq and Azhar Ali all in the high 40's. The skipper, Misbah checks in at 68 and the old pro Younis has been almost Bradman-like at 87.

Azhar Ali made a slow 57

Taufeeq didn't play a perfect innings here but any century is a good innings. He partnered Azhar to 127, the latter being the most patient of the Pakistanis, making a controlled and chanceless half century. Taufeeq added 95 with Younis before he was eventually out to the best of the Bangaldeshi bowlers, Nazmul Hossain. The tall man's work was good all day, but he took advantage of the second new ball to make things uncomfortable for batsmen who had looked in complete and easy control. Four overs into the new cherry, he decked one across the left handed Taufeeq, found the edge and against the trend, Shahriar held a fine low catch at second slip.

Misbah was busy at the crease, hitting as many fours in his 50 deliveries as Younis had in more than twice that many. Pakistan closed in on Bangladesh as the light inevitably did, in depressing fashion, on the play.

If Pakistan can bat strongly on the fourth day and get a 200 run lead by the close, then a Bangladeshi collapse on the last day is still on the cards.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Where Have All The Punters Gone?

Mike McKenna - who cares about crowds when we have TV

After more media hype than an Opra visit. Saturation advertising. Free giveaways on Friday and Saturday night. A product made, we have been told, specifically for spectators. Stars galore and even the chance to watch the Sheik of Tweak, the Earl of Twirl, The Mosty of Toasties, Shane (I've Got the Most Famous Bird Here) Warne, back on his beloved "G". He had spent the week tramping like some steroidal ogre through the streets of Melbourne on his way to the ground (I don't know about you but I couldn't get the Stay Puff Marsh Mellow Man from Ghostbusters out of my head). The organisers and commentators had said beforehand that 30 000 at the SCG and 50 000 at the MCG would be the benchmarks, after all, tickets could be had as low as $20 an adult and $5 a child.

Friday night at the SCG drew 12 000 and Saturday night at the MCG drew less than 24 000.

Not entirely an successful crowd return for men such as project manager Mike McKenna, one of the few public faces behind the facade of the Big Bash League.

McKenna and Melbourne Stars CEO Clint Cooper, were quick to point out that crowd figures were down because

it was hot (35C) and who wants to stand around in the heat
a lot of local cricket club Christmas bbq's would have kept people away
Rome wasn't built in a day (and the empire didn't last forever either)
people aren't in the holiday mode yet

Please ... most of have an IQ greater than a fast bowler and wouldn't use toilet paper that thin.

Perhaps if these blokes were fair dinkum, they could add

removing the warm up game in Sydney which was to feature the Australian women's team and sending it to Drumoyne Oval instead ... surely a big winner among a powerful part of the demographic CA was hoping to further woo
trying to manufacture tribalism
relying on the pulling power of ex players at a time when the Australian public - cricket and otherwise - are questioning the continuance of older players in the Test team
placing a new competition whose sole purpose is to make as much money as possible for all concerned, slap bang in Australian cricket prime time
expecting crass commercialism to out way regional loyalties

McKenna crowed over the ratings figures (858 000) on Friday night and given this is a sporting event tailored completely for the television market, so he should. Sooner or later, TV audiences will start to notice the lack of bums on seats, despite the clever marking ploy of having an odd patchwork of coloured seats in modern Australia stadiums which fools the eye into seeing the pattern as people, not empty seats. In Brisbane, for the Test against New Zealand, half of the Gabba was closed every day yet long shots didn't reveal that and TV direction was to only show closer shots on the northern half of the ground.

This event was never about crowds anyway. It was first and foremost an exercise in making as much money as possible and the fastest way to do that is to sell your event to television.Therefore, its the TV numbers McKenna and the eight faceless franchisers will be watching because that will keep the big bucks rolling in. Big numbers will bring Nine executives into negotiations for future seasons, not mum's and dad's and the little urchins coming in from the western suburbs and waving flags to support imaginary allegiances.

Who are the people putting up the money behind these teams anyway? A while ago, Cricket Australia was in an urgent hurry to prevent Indian investment in the Big Bash, apparently fearing a repeat of scandals such as those which surround Indian businessman Lalit Modi. As responsible as that may have been, James Sutherland and Cricket Australia have kept franchise owners from the public. You will find the names of chief executives and managers of each team but try finding the identity of the owners. When even Google is boggled, you can be sure they are not for release. So now, the people behind the greatest change in Australian cricket are invisible vapours. Their only credential is money.

In January of course, the crowds will be bigger because there is no other cricket programmed. Cricket Australia has stacked the cards in favour of that outcome. With only only four Test matches being played, Big Bash will literally be the only game in town. Who wants to run Sheffield Shield at a loss when Fox and eventually Nine will pay a fortune for the TV rights to show an eclectic bunch of the world's rejects play backyard bully against our keenest eyed. Don't get me wrong. I love some slap and tickle as well but not when it comes at such a great cost. Whilst everyone makes dosh from this, the future of Australia cricket is being pushed to one side. Cricket Australia, as parents of the game in this country, are encouraging us to eat the ice cream and cake and ignore the vegetables.

So far, it appears Australian are not that stupid.

Pakistan Clawing Back

For a second day at Mirpur, Dhaka, play was restricted to below 70 overs by fog in the morning and bad light in the afternoon as the 2nd Test between Pakistan and the home side, Bangladesh, ground its way forward. Pakistan, having been thwarted on the opening day by a long partnership, were again frustrated when play did eventually get underway. Century maker Shakib Al Hasan formed a second good partnership, this time with captain Mushfiqur Rahim, adding 82 for the sixth wicket. Mushfiqur was the more adventurous of the two, taking to the spinners with lofted shots to the outfield. The new ball came and went before lunch to nil effect - Cheema and Gul unable to gain any advantage from the pitch or through the air. The spinners were able to extract more turn with the harder ball but but only Saeed Ajmal looked threatening.

A half hour after lunch, Mushfiqur called Shakib for a quick single, changed his mind and Shakib was unable to beat Taufeeq Umar's throw back. Shakib was an unhappy camper as he left but it got worse. Mishfiqur was out next ball, gloving a ball from Umar Gul down the leg side to keeper Adnan Akmal. Wickets lost in clusters are hard on a side, particularly weaker teams. Bangladesh collapsed, losing 5-33 and were out well short of the 400 hundred total their hard work had deserved.

Nazmul Hossain removes Hafeez

Despite losing Mohammad Hafeez in the fifth over, Pakistan made sound progress until light intervened. Hafeez was out to a regulation ball just outside off stump which he nicked behind. For bowler Nazmul Hossain, bowling his first delivery in Test cricket for seven years, it was nothing but pure joy.Taufeeq used up some luck early, slicing over slips but proceeded to smash anything short and wide of off stump, peppering the boundary either side of point. His better shots came when the ball was fuller and he was driving down the ground. Azi Ali appeared to be prepared to take his time and build. He played one delightful drive through extra cover which had little to do with power and everything to do with timing but survived a raucous appeal for lbw on 10, when he unwisely shouldered arms at a ball which came back at him from Robial Islam. Late in the day, spin was closing the batsmen down but perhaps the impending early close of play had more to do with their batting demeanour than the bowling.

With the conditions likely to remain unchanged, there may be less than 200 overs left to find a result.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Bangladesh Growl Against Pakistan

Shakib Al Hasan made 108x

Before 1971, Bangladesh was East Pakistan - a disputed and unhappy annex of Pakistan to the east of India, joining Bengali territory. Then a bitter battle which created massive numbers of starving refugees, a UN resolution and two concerts in early August at Maddison Square Garden changed all that.

Much later on, Bangladesh started playing Test cricket. As one might expect, matches against Pakistan have always been philosophically and historically the hardest. In seven Tests since the first played thirty yeas after their separation, Pakistan have always won and usually handsomely. Just last week, they flogged Bangladesh by an innings and 184 runs. Such has been the Pakistani dominance that only once - before yesterday - had a Bangladeshi batsman taken a hundred from the Pakistani bowlers.

The day started and finished in gloom. An hour was lost at either end of the day, with fog being the major cause in the morning. By lunch, it was business as usual for both sides, with Bangladesh reduced to 4-54 and on track for another low first innings score. So many of their Test matches have been decided by tea on the first day after the batting has collapsed. Misbah against sent them in after winning the toss and result were immediate. Nazimuddin (shouldering arms to an off cutter and being plumb), Mahmudullah (bowled through the gate by another off cutter) and Nasir Hossain (nibbling outside off stump) all fell to Aizaz Cheema inside the first fifteen overs and Umar Gul claimed Tamim Iqbal with a bouncer which hit straight to fine leg.

After lunch, the Bengal Tiger roared and the rest of the day belonged to the fifth wicket pair of left handers, Shahriar Nafees and Shakib Al Hasan.

Nafees was unlucky to miss a hundred

In previous times, the lunch time reverse of fortunes may have had one detecting rodents in the air but the steadfast leadership of Misbah and the inclusion of anti-corruption strongman man Younis Khan makes it easier to accept this was one of crickets glorious moments when the underdog bites back. It is one of the greatest of those recent scumbags crimes against our game that we even stop to consider foul play.

Batting with suspicion at a time when their side was already down for a compulsory eight count, both batsmen played with a positivism which surprised the seamers. Their four hour, 180 run partnership netted a Bangladeshi partnership record and was only broken four overs from the bad light end when Nafees tried to avoid a short ball from Gul and it brushed his glove on the way to keeper Adnal Akmal. It seemed an unfair reward for such good batting that he was caught three short of his hundred. Al Hasan went on to only his second career hundred in 26 Tests but it continues the good form he had shown against the West Indies.

Unlike the first Test, the Pakistani spin bowlers had little impact.

Sri Lanka Caught Philandering in Centurion

Philander took 5-53

It's been a tragic year for Sri Lanka and a defeat by an innings and 81 runs at Super Sports Park in Centurion - their second worst in South Africa - hasn't changed that any. With a Boxing Day Test yet to play in Durban, the prospects of an improvement aren't great. It was their seventh defeat in 8 matches in South Africa, where they are still without a win. In fact, Hashan Tillerkaratne remains their only batsmen to score a century on African soil. Former skippers Marvin Attapatu (a man with six double centuries in his record), Mahela Jayawardene (centuries at Lords) and Kumar Sangakkara (consistently ranked in the top five batsmen in the world) have all failed dismally on any trip there.

After a six month break, they resumed Tests against England in May and haven't won any of the 10 Tests they have played. Flat pitches and weather have saved them often and have limited the damage to draws but losses to England, Australia, Pakistan and now South Africa have highlighted their aging batsmen and the inability of their bowlers to make enough of an impact.

Jayawardene run out attempting
his 10 000th Test run

After Mark Boucher and Imran Tahir added 61 for the last wicket and took the South African total out of reach, Sri Lanka collapsed to 4-37 inside fifteen overs, with Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene all gone. Jayawardene undid himself, dropping the ball down the pitch and setting off as fast as his old legs would carry him, only to be run out by a metre as the bowler, Kallis, followed through, swivelled and threw down the wicket at the bowlers end. The calamity leaves him stranded on 9 999 Test runs. Angelo Mathews and Thilan Samaraweera followed soon after and at 6-70 it was just a mopping up operation. The tail put some spirit into but were never going to survive long against Steyn and Philander.

Vernon Philander was superb again and finished with match figures of 10-102. In three Tests, he has 24 wickets at 12 and hasn't even bowled 100 overs yet! It's an easy game this Test cricket. He looms as a major strike weapon for the England tour. If he can swing and seam the ball in South Africa he should be deadly in in English conditions. He was suitably named Man of the Match, although AB deVilliers four hour 99 would have been a reasonable alternative.